This time of year is always interesting for NFL teams for numerous reasons. Not only is Week 1 rapidly approaching, but roster cutdown day brings drama, and the Kansas City Chiefs have been hard at work preparing the organization for Friday's game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
While the tight end room is already set with Travis Kelce, Noah Gray, Jared Wiley, and Robert Tonyan, that doesn't mean additions can't be made, particularly on the practice squad.
With that in mind, the franchise needs to reunite with an old enforcer at the position who has the support of his ex-teammates in the locker room.
Love seeing Peyton Hendershot standing up for Mahomes pic.twitter.com/kDCARZvs7z
— Royals Hopeful (@jroyalsfc) September 6, 2024
Chiefs Must Reunite with Former TE Peyton Hendershot Before Week 1
26-year-old tight end Peyton Hendershot, who spent 2024 with the Chiefs, remains a free agent. The market on him has obviously cooled, but he could prove to be a valuable asset down the line for a team like Kansas City.
Hendershot famously stood up for three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes in his first game with the organization, and he's the type of enforcer that every team needs. Should an injury occur, he's more than capable of stepping in with limited snaps to catch a couple of passes and be a competent blocker.
He had just five receptions for 51 yards in 2024, but his blocking prowess goes a long way in the run game. Originally an undrafted free agent out of Indiana, Hendershot spent the first two years of his career with the Dallas Cowboys before being traded to the Chiefs, so the front office clearly has an affinity for him. Kelce, Gray, and Wiley are all locked in as the top three options, but Hendershot could compete with Tonyan to change things up at the end of the position.
Tonyan is the obvious receiving option while Rashee Rice is suspended. He won't be out the entire year, though, just six games, and that creates an opportunity for someone like Tonyan to step in and become a blocker in certain packages. Tonyan's receiving ability won't be as needed once Rice comes back, and since Hendershot is just on the street, there's no reason not to bring him back on the practice squad.
It feels unlikely at this stage, given that Kansas City already has four tight ends. Regardless, it'd be a wise move and one that general manager Brett Veach has to consider.